Car-coupling



(No Model.)

W. I. DENNEY.

GAR COUPLING. No. 316,128. Patented Apr. 21. 1885.

UNITED STATES 1 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. DENNEY, or MILLBROOK, MIOHIGANI CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 316,128, dated April21, 1885.

Application filed September 8, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, .WILLIAM F. DENNEY, of Millbrook, in the county ofMecosta and State of Michigamhave invented a new and ImprovedOar-Coupling, of which the following is a full,.clear, and exactdescription.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, anddurable car-coupling so constructed as to be operated for coupling anduncoupling the cars without requiring the train-men to go between thecars, thus avoiding the dangers to life and limb incident to the commonmethods of coupling cars.

The invention consists in particular constructionsand combinations ofthe parts of the coupling, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure leis an under side view of the coupling with parts in horizontalsection. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the couplingwith different positions of the parts indicated in dotted lines,and Fig.3 is a front elevation of the coupling.-

The letter A indicates the floor or timber framing of a car to 'whichthecoupling is attached.

B is the draw head or bar which draws on a strong pin or bolt, 0,passing through the back end of the draw-head, and through the cap-platec, which is bolted to the cross-beam into which the bolt 0 enters. Theback end of the draw-head has sufficient looseness in the cap-plate cand around the bolt 0 to permit the front plate, D, of the couplingtoplay up and down on the bolts d d, which pass through vertical slots inthe plate into the car sill or timber, and thus support the forward endof the coupling and allow it to accommodate itself vertically to theentering links. The front plate, D, has an opening,

E, through which the draw-head passes, and which is wider than thedraw-head to allow the opposite side parts, B B of the'drawhead to havelateral play, and I show a crossbar, D bolted at d to the main body ofthe plate D, and crossing beneath the draw-head B of the draw-head arefastened to the bars or springs F F, which in turn are bolted at f partsB B abut against shoulders b b, back of the tenon b, as in Fig. 1.fastened to the plate D at g, and held to the parts B by the bolts 9,which hold theparts B to the bars F, act to hold the parts B against thetenon b, and the blocks 9 may be fastened tothe plate D, within thecurves of the springs G,to steady the springs,which allow parts B B togive way sidewise by any lateral pressure of the link H either way onthem, as when the coupled cars are rounding curves, and will carry thelink to a central position again on a straight track, thereby avoiding asidewise breaking or crushing strain on the link, which rests in thesocket I provided for it in the draw-head above the end part or tenon bof the center bar, B. The upper inner portions of the parts B B of thedraw-head are cut away to form a vertical recess, J, to receive the hookendk of the coupling-bar K, which is bolted to the top of the bar B at70, and is made of spring metal and so that the normal tendency of thelower end of the conpling-hookk is to spring downward into a notch orsocket, L, made for it in the top of the tenon or end I) of the part ofthe draw-bar and at the floor of the link-socket.

The plate D is slotted at D, to allow the bar K to rise, as hereinafterdescribed. Iprovide the opposingfaces or parts of the bars K B withtongues or projections 70 12 which are Springs G G,-

-f to the center bar, B, and the back ends of 50 To the top of thecoupling-bar K, above its and also allows the hook to rise abovethelinkhook it, is fastened a standard, M, which is narrower than thehook, so as to form shoulders m m above the hook, and the standard M hasa cross-head, N. (See Fig. 3.)

O is a shaft, which is journaled in any suitable bearings, 0 0, on thefront plate, D, and has a couple of arms, P P, fixed to it so as to comeat each side of the standard M, to act, when the shaft is turned,against the crosshead N and shoulders m m, to lock the coupling-hook inraised or lowered positions, respectively, as'presently explained. Theshaft 0 has levers or crank-arms R R fixed one at each end, so that itmay be turned by an attendant standing on the ground at either side ofthe car for looking or setting the coupling-bar, and'to provide forvsetting the coupling-bar from the top of the ear I have placed on theshaft 0 a pinion, S, which meshes with a gearwheel or segmental rack, T,journaled to the side of the car, and so that the slight vertical playof the shaft 0 that may result from the rise and fall of the frontplate, D, on the bolt-s d d will not throw the wheels S T out of gearwith each other. To the wheel or rack T is fixed a lever, U, whichextends to the top of the car, to be worked by an attendant on the roofof the car, as will readily be understood. The link H may have thestraight form, as in full lines in Fig. 2, to be used in coupling earsof equal height; or it may have the bent form shown in dotted lines forcoupling cars whose draw-heads stand at unequal heights.

The operation is as follows: When the shaft Oand its arms P P are in thepositions shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 3, the ends of the arms Prest on the shoulders m of the coupling-bar and lock the hook it intothe notch L in front of the end barof thelink H to couple the cars. Touncouple the cars, either arm R must be turned half-way around backwardto the position shown by the dotted lines R in Fig. 2, or the lever Umust be moved to the position shown by the dotted lines U, either ofwhich movements will cause the arms P of shaft 0 to strike thecross-headN of the coupling-bar K and lift the hook k above the linksocket, as indotted lines, to release the link, so that the cars may be drawn apart,and with the bar K held by the arms P in this position the cars may beshifted against .each other without coupling, as often is required inmaking up trains or in shunting ears to a side track. 1

To set the coupling to couple the cars auto matically as they cometogether, the arms R will be set in theintermediate position shown at R,or the lever U set in intermediate posi tion, as at U which will carrythe arms P to the horizontal position shown at P in Fig. 2, or justbelow and about parallel with the under face of the head N, which allowsthe coupling-hook k to enter the notch L for coupling,

socket, so that an approaching car carrying a coupling-link will forceits link against the beveled outer face or end of the hook 7c and forcethe hook upward to allow the link to enter the socket I, whereupon thehook will spring down in front of the end of the link to couple on thecar. The shaft 0 now may be turned to carry the ends of the arms Pagainst the shoulders m to prevent a rise of the coupling-hook.

It will be understood that but one arm P and shoulder m may be providedto act with a cross-head, N, and the coupling-hook, as above described;but the construction shown is preferred.

I propose to make all parts of the coupling which are subjected tosevere shocks or strains of some suitable metal, and, in fact, most ofthe coupling will be made of metal, so as to make it strong and durable.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is 1'. The eombination,in a car-coupling,ofthe draw-head B, consisting of the bar B,end parts,

i B 13*, supported to yield laterally and pressed toward each other bysprings, and a springmetal couplingbar, K, provided with a hook, is,adapted to enter the link-socket, and said socket having a notch, L, toreceive the end of the hook 70, substantially as shown and described.

2. In car-couplings, the draw-head B, consisting of the bar B, endparts, B B supported on bars F F so as to yield laterally, and pressedtoward each other by springs, and a spring-metal coupling-bar, K,provided with a hook, it, adapted to enter the link-socket, and saiddraw-bar being supported at the front end in a plate, D,- adapted torise and fall with the draw-bar, substantially'as shown and described.

3. The combination, with the draw-head, center bar, B, and coupling-barK, of the tongues or projections b is, substantially as shown anddescribed.

4. The combination, in a car-coupling and with the coupling-bar K,having a hook, it, shoulder m, standard M, and cross-head N, of theshaft 0, provided with an arm, P, and end arms, R R, substantially asshown and described.

5. The combination, in a car-coupling and with the coupling-bar K,having a hook, it, shoulder m, standard M, and cross-head N, of theshaft 0, pinion S, gear wheel or segment T, and lever U, substantiallyas shown and described.

\VILLIAM F. DENNEY.

Witnesses:

JAMES A. WEYANT, NATHAN DENNEY.

